home/glossary/mobile device

mobile device

nounverified·updated Aug 28, 2026

A portable computing device that has a small form factor such that it can easily be carried by a single individual; is designed to operate without a physical connection (e.g., wirelessly transmit or receive information); possesses local, non-removable or removable data storage; and includes a self-contained power source. Mobile devices may also include voice communication capabilities, on-board sensors that allow the devices to capture information, or built-in features that synchronize local data with remote locations. Examples include smartphones, tablets, and Ereaders.

MWENIST SP 800-172r3

Senses

ISACA Cybersecurity Glossary

A small, handheld computing devices, typically having a display screen with touch input and/or a miniature keyboard and weighing less than two pounds

FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool, Baseline, May 2017

Includes notebook computers, personal digital assistants, cellular telephones; and other computing and communications devices with network connectivity and the capability of periodically operating in different physical locations.

Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) IT Examination Handbook Infobase, Glossary

A portable computing and communications device with information-storage capability. Examples include notebook and laptop computers, cellular telephones and smart phones, tablets, digital cameras, and audio recording devices.

NISTIR 7298: Glossary of Key Information Security Terms, Revision 2

Portable cartridge/disk-based, removable storage media (e.g., floppy disks, compact disks, USB flash drives, external hard drives, and other flash memory cards/drives that contain nonvolatile memory). Portable computing and communications device with information storage capability (e.g., notebook/laptop computers, personal digital assistants, cellular telephones, digital cameras, and audio recording devices).

NIST SP 800-171r3glossary

A portable computing device that has a small form factor such that it can easily be carried by a single individual; is designed to operate without a physical connection (e.g., wirelessly transmit or receive information); possesses local, non-removable, or removable data storage; and includes a self-contained power source. Mobile devices may also include voice communication capabilities, on-board sensors that allow the devices to capture information, or built-in features that synchronize local data with remote locations. Examples include smartphones, tablets, and ereaders.

Classifications

Entity Type

Physical0%rule-basedmulti_axis_classifier_low_confidence.v1
?unassignedlast reviewed

Sensitivity

Regulated80%llm-generatedllm:claude-haiku-4-5
?unassignedlast reviewed

Information Class

60%llm-generatedllm:claude-haiku-4-5
?unassignedlast reviewed

Variants

synonym
mobile computing device
plural
mobile devices
possessive
mobile device's
pluralpossessive
mobile devices'